Latest Area News Headlines

WORTHINGTON — The executive committee of the Plum Creek Library System has announced the hiring of Jim Trojanowski as the new Plum Creek Library System executive director.

Trojanowski is currently the director of the Northern Waters Library Service in Ashland, Wis. He has been in that position for the past 10 years and before that was the director of the Vaughn Public Library in Ashland. Trojanowski will begin his work at Plum Creek Library System in early July.

LUVERNE – With a meter building on the Minnesota – Iowa border reaching substantial completion Thursday morning, the Rock County Rural Water District (RCRWD) began receiving water from the Lewis & Clark Regional Water System (L&C), becoming the twelfth member connected to Lewis & Clark. Eight members remain.

Rock County Rural Water District, which is overseen by the Rock County Commission, has reserved 300,000 gallons a day. However, it will only access half its capacity at this connection, with the other half at their future second connection at Magnolia.

WORTHINGTON – Minnesota West Community and Technical College President-elect Terry Gaalswyk will be visiting the Worthington campus at 12:30 p.m. Monday as he tours the five communities for the first time since his name was announced May 20 by MnSCU Chancellor Steven Rosenstone.

Gaalswyk was one of two semifinists under consideration for the position of president and will be taking over from interim president Barbara McDonald, who was chosen by Rosenstone as the next president of North Hennepin Community College.

WORTHINGTON – A rural Reading woman charged with 11 felony counts of animal neglect and nine misdemeanor charges of depriving animals of food and water entered into a plea agreement Tuesday in Nobles County District Court that will make it a probation violation for her to possess any pets or companion animals for a year.

Joan Moore was investigated in March of 2014 after authorities were alerted to the possibility of dead horses on her property. Nobles County deputies investigated and during two searches, a total of 15 dead horses were found in various states of decay. More horses...

WORTHINGTON – The Worthington City Council on Tuesday approved the application for an on-sale liquor license for the Venetian Steakhouse, which is located in the Northland Mall. The application had been delayed because of non-payment of taxes by the previous property owner, Mike Kohen. City ordinance prohibits issuance of a license to a premise when property taxes are reported as delinquent, even when the business in question is owned by a renter.

The sale of the mall had been pending for quite some time and has now been completed to 7&41 LLC, the real estate branch of PBK...

BREWSTER – A broadside crash on Sunday morning outside of Brewster left a Worthington man with non-life threatening injuries, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. Y V Nguyen, 67, of Worthington, driving a 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer, was traveling north on Highway 264. Holli Arp, age 41, of Jackson, was driving a 2015 Chrysler 2LM and headed east on County Road 35.The vehicles collided in the intersection at approximately 10:45 a.m. Arp was not injured. Nguyen was taken to Sanford Worthington with non-life threatening injuries.

WORTHINGTON - In observance of Memorial Day, all city, county and state government offices will be closed Monday, including the law enforcement center at Prairie Justice Center. The Nobles County Library will be closed. The Worthington Post Office will be closed and delivery routes will not be running.

Financial institutions will be closed Monday, as will the Worthington Municipal Liquor Store. Schaap Sanitation will pick up the normal Monday routes on Tuesday.

Fareway will not be open on Monday, but Hy-Vee will observe normal hours of operation, with the exception of the...

Radio Works Director of News & Information Justine Wettschreck spoke to DFL Minority Leader Paul Thissen about the Minnesota Legislative Session, what went wrong, what went right, and what will happen during the upcoming special session.

WORTHINGTON – According to information disclosed at Thursday’s meeting of the Worthington Regional Economic Development Corp or WREDC, the closing paperwork has been signed by Brian Pellowski and 7&41 LLC is now the official owner of the Northland Mall property, taking it out of the hands of Mike Kohan.

A loan of $1.2 million to 7&41 LLC – the real estate branch of PBK Investments – was approved earlier this month by the City of Worthington, which allowed the company to acquire to property as a tax increment financing district is being set up.

WORTHINGTON – Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Chancellor Steven Rosenstone on Wednesday recommended Dr. Terry Gaalswyk to take over as president of Minnesota West Community and Technical College, a position with an anticipated start date of July 1. Gaalswyk will take over the reins from Dr. Barbara McDonald, who has served as the interim president since the retirement of Dr. Richard Shrubb in July 2014.

During the same MnSCU Board of Trustee meeting, Rosenstone recommended McDonald for the presidency of North Hennepin Community College.